Internal-combustion engine



Sept. 25 1923. 7 1,469,031

C. L. AUSTIN, JR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed May 16, 1917 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Sr tea-1421,

Sept. 25,1923. 1,469,031 C. L. AUSTIN, JR

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE o. to 5 Patented Sept. 25, 1923.,

' intact sic INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed May 16, 1917. Serial No. 168,930.

1 '0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. AUSTIN,

residin at 363 Washington Ave, Brooklyn,

New ork. U. S. A., have invented new and useful Improvements inInternal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.I

My invention relates to internal combus tion engines.

My object is to provide an engine of great power compared with its size,and in particular to provide a double-acting, two cycle engine in whichthe intake and exhaust ports of both ends of the cylinder are controlledby a single sleeve valve.

With this primary object in view, my invention consists in theconstructions, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinillustrated, described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a preferred embodimentof my invention. In these drawings, similar reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in all views, and

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine constructed in accordance withthe invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the engine;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately upon the line 3-3of Figure 7 Figure 4 is an elevation of a sleeve valve;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 5--5 ofFigure 7 Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section taken apprt ximatelythrough the center of the cylinder, showing the piston in its upperposition, and with the nearest transfer pipe shown in section;

Figure 7 is a longitudinal vertical sec tion taken approximately throughthe center of the cylinder;

Figure 8 is a transverse vertical section taken approximately throughthe center of a cylinder showing the piston in the lowest position;

Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 9-9 ofFigure 8;

Figure 10 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 10-10of Figure 8; and

Figure 11 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 1111of Figure 8.

Referring to these drawings, the engine comprises-a, cylinder casting 1which may be provided with the usual water jacket 2 and which I preferto make with a square exterior section. Inlets and outlet openings 3 maybe provided for the admission and discharge of water to and from thewater jacket. At the central part of the casting is provided the exhaustpassage 4, see particularly Figures .8 and 10.

, The cylinder casting 1 is supported upon a crank case 5, and isprovided at each end with a cylinder head 6. In the walls of thecylinder, approximately in the plane of the cylinder axis and the crankshaft, atboth sides are provided longitudinal slots or openings 7. Thepiston 8 which reciprocates within the cylinder is provided with a pairof oppositely projecting pins 9, preferably a single pin passing throughthe piston, which extendthrough the slots 7- 0f the cylinder and areattached to the upper ends of the connecting rods 10, by means of whichmotion is transmitted from the piston to the crank shaft 11, whichpreferably has a center bearing 12 and end cranks 13, and bearings 14outside the cranks may also be provided if desired.

A sleeve valve 15' is provided within the cylinder casting 1, and aroundthe piston, this valve being provided with slots 16 located in alignmentwith the slots 7 of. the cylinder to permit the pins 9 of the piston topass through, so that the piston and sleeve valve may be independentlyoperated. The

cylinder heads 6 are formed with an inwardly projecting central portion17 of approximately the same diameter as the piston, thus leaving anannular chamber 18 into which the end of the sleevevalve 15 may project.The inwardly projecting portion 17 maybe provided with piston rings 19so as to prevent the gases from escaping from the cylinder between thevalve and the cylinder heads. I

This annular chamber 18 is used for admission of gases to the cylinder,and the inwardly projecting portion of the cylinder head is soproportioned as to not project in quite as far as the end of thecylinder bore, so that when the ports of the valve overlap the end ofthe cylinder head, the gases may pass from the chamber 18 through saidports and between the end of the cylinder bore and the end ofthe inwardprojection 17 of the head.

The sleeve valve 15 is provided with ports 20 near each end for theadmission of gases to each end of the cylinder, and with exhaust ports21located near the central part of the inthe" drawings, I prefer to placethe eccentrics exactly in phase with the crank so that the piston andthe sleeve valve always move-in the same direction simultaneously, butthe distance travelled by-the valve is preferably about half the travelof the piston.

Disposed at each end of the valve 15, just beyond the intake ports --20,there may be provided annular pistons 24 adapted to reciprocate in thechambers 18 to effect preliminary compression of air or air gasmixtures. Compression for the crank end of the main cylinder is effectedin the head ends of both the compression cylinders 18, and vice versa.In Figure 6 the parts are shown as compression has been completed forthe crank end of the cylinder, and the valve 15 has just opened theadmission ports. The head ends of the compression cylinders are.connected by a transfer pipe or passage 25, and the crank ends bysimilar transfer means 26. These transfer pipes may be connected withmeans for forming an air-gas mixture, the connections 27 beingpreferably located in each case near the end of the transfer pipe awayfrom the end of the cylinder towhich the air and gas from that transferpipe are to be delivered. The connections 27 may be provided with checkvalves 28 through which the air gas mixtures are drawn in, and thetransfer pipes 25 and 26 may have near their ends adjacent the ends ofthe cylinder to which they respectively deliver, check valves 29 for theadmission of air, which are preferably set to open under about the samesuction as the valves 28.

The operation of the engine is as follows: Referring to Figure 6, withthe parts as there shown, an explosive charge is admitted to the crankend of the cylinder, and the piston starts to descend under previouslyacquired momentum. The rotation of the crank shaft 11 causes theeccentric 3D to move the valve in the same direction as the piston. Theintake ports 20 are thereupon closed, and the exhaust ports 21 areclosed. The explosive charge is compressed until the piston reaches theend of its stroke, and is then ignited by means not shown. The pistonthereupon travels on its working stroke to the other end of thecylinder, and just before the end of the stroke is reached, the exhaustports, and immediately afterwards the intake ports are opened. Thiscompletes the cycle for the crank end. The samecycle takes place in thehead end of the cylinder, the power strokes occurring alternately in thetwo ends.

As the piston performs its downward or compression stroke as consideredfrom the crank end, the valve also moves downward. This causes a suctionin the head ends of the compression cylinders 18 and the transfer pipe25 communicating therewith, and causes the check valves 28 and 29 toopen, permitt ng an air gas mixture to be drawn into the upper cylinder,and air to be drawn into the lower cylinder. On the working stroke inthe crank end, the air gas mixture and the air are compressed in thecylinders 18, and at the end of the stroke when the valve opens theintake ports to the crank end, the air compressed in the adjacentcylinder 18 enters the cylinder and blows the exhaust gases out theexhaust ports 21, and the compressed air-gas mixture from the othercylinder 18 passes through the transfer pipe 25 and follows the air intothe cylinder, ready for further compression within the cylinder itself,and explosion. In this way fresh air is used to clean out the cylinderafter each working stroke before the admission of a new charge. The samecycle takes place as to the other end of the cylinder, but half a.revolution of the crank shaft later.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination comprising a doubleacting working cylinder, double acting preliminary compression cylindersnear each end of the working cylinder, a transfer passageinterconnecting the head ends of said compres sion cylinders, a similarconnection between the crank ends, and means for placing saidcompression cylinders in communication with the working cylinder.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination comprising a doubleacting working cylinder, double acting I preliminary compressioncylinders near each endof the working cylinder, a transfer passageinterconnecting the head ends of said compression cylinders, a similarconnection between the crank' ends, means for simultaneously admittingfuel to one of said preliminary compression cylinders and air toanother, and means for placing the latter cylinder in communication withthe working cylinder when preliminary compression has been completed.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the.

combination comprising a double acting working cylinder, double actingpreliminary compression cylinders near each end of the working cylinder,a transfer passage interconnecting the head ends of said compressioncylinders, 21 similar connection between the crank ends, air valves insaid passages near the end from which delivery is to be made, means foradmitting fuel to said passage near the other cylinder, and means forplacing the former cylinder in communication with the working cylinder.

4. In an internal combustion engine the combination comprising a doubleacting cylinder, 2. piston reciprocable therein, a reciprocable sleevevalve disposed between said piston and cylinder and having double actingpreliminary compression pistons formed at each end thereof, preliminarycompression cylinders for said pistons, a transthe compression cylindersto the working cylinders.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 25 name to this specification.

., CHARLES L. AUSTIN, JR.

